title: Cytokines and the inception of CD8 T cell responses.
abstract: The activation and differentiation of CD8 T cells is a necessary first step that endows these cells with the phenotypic and functional properties required for the control of intracellular pathogens. The induction of the CD8 T cell responses typically results in the development of a massive overall population of effector cells, comprising both highly functional but short-lived terminally differentiated cells, as well as a smaller subset of precursors that are predisposed to survive and transition into the memory T cell pool. In this review, we discuss how inflammatory cytokines and IL-2 bias the initial response towards short-lived effector generation, and also highlight the potential counterbalancing role of IL-21.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States.
authors.forename: Maureen A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: Laurie E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Harrington
authors.forename: Allan J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Zajac
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology*; D007378:Interleukins / Q000276:immunology*; D000098546:Interleukin-21
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D007378:Interleukins; D000098546:Interleukin-21